GGH326 Resources and People

for SP 2012

Mission Statement: Park University provides access to a quality higher education experience that prepares a diverse community of learners to think critically, communicate effectively, demonstrate a global perspective and engage in lifelong learning and service to others.

Vision Statement: Park University, a pioneering institution of higher learning since 1875, will provide leadership in quality, innovative education for a diversity of learners who will excel in their professional and personal service to the global community.

Course

GGH 326 Resources and People

Semester

SP 2012 HOZ

Faculty

Fox, David P.

Title

Assistant Professor of Geography

Degrees/Certificates

(PhD candidate [ABD], Geography, University of Kansas)MA, Geography, University of Missouri (2001)BA, Geography, University of Missouri (1993)

Note: Some additional reading material may be assigned in class. If assigned, students will be able to aquire this material free of charge through the electronic databases available through the McAfee Memorial Library website (www.park.edu/library). Also, students are strongly encouraged to seek out and bring additional reading material (newspaper/magazine articles, websites, etc.) to the attention of the class. If appropriate, the instructor may require any of these additional reading sources.

Course Description: This course is an in depth study of the interaction between physical systems and human activities, and their effects on the environment. Topics include: population growth, food, production, water supply, air pollution, and natural resource consumption. 3:0:3

Educational Philosophy:

"Education must, then, be not only a transmission of culture but also a provider of alternative views of the world and a strengthener of the will to explore them."-- Jerome S. Bruner

"Education is the art of making [humans] ethical." -- Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel

The facilitator’s educational philosophy is one of interactiveness based on lectures, readings, quizzes, dialogues, examinations, internet, videos, web sites and writings. My goal is to create a positive, interactive, challenging, engaging, lively, and even (believe it or not) confusing classroom environment. I believe that education is most effective when approached as a process during which the teacher and students share equally in contributing to the learning that takes place. Rather than being the "sage on the stage" or a "fountain of wisdom" (neither of which I am), I will attempt to guide, encourage, and facilitate your learning. In addition, since this is an upper-division course, I intend for it to operate most often like a true seminar class--much like you will experience in graduate school. Therefore, you will be expected to come to class every period having read the assigned material and prepared to discuss, debate, reflect on, analyze, evaluate, and question the readings and other class material every bit as much as I am. Failure to do so, frankly, is just simply not an option.

This course is all about the geographic theme of human-environment interaction. Therefore, it is designed to support the Geography Program's "Environment & Society" Program Competency, which states that our students will be able to: Analyze how human actions modify the physical environment and how physical systems affect humans.

Also, it is critical for you to understand that this may not be the typical type of "geography" class you might be expecting (especially if this is your first geography course since high school!). Rather than focusing simply on where resources are and how we get them to where we want them (which is all fine and good as basic level geographic knowledge about resources), instead we will pay greater attention to one of geography's most important core themes: "human-environment interaction" (or human/cultural ecology, if you prefer), which focuses on how we, as humans, depend on, adapt to, and modify the earth on which we live. An important sub-theme of this course will also be "place-making," i.e., How do we create the world(s) in which we live?" and, even more importantly, "What kind of world do we want to live in/create?" Frankly, there is just no getting around these questions when it comes to discussing geographic perspectives on "resources and people." And with this in mind, you should also be well aware that the concept of sustainabilitywill be a major focus of discussion for this course. This is also an essential point to draw your attention to, since this course is one of the two core required courses for the Geography & Geology Program's Global Sustainability Minor. Therefore, be aware that we will examine these questions, and many other related ones, through the lense of geography. Thus, it will most likely be necessary to first develop a much broader and deeper understanding of this often over-simplified discipline. We will explore the highly interdisciplinary nature of this field and its numerous contributions and applications to helping us cope with and hopefully solve many of our world's most pressing environmental and resource issues.

Instructor Learning Outcomes

Describe and identify the natural resources most commonly used by humans.

Analyze the methods that humans extract natural resources and their impact on the environment.

Analyze the factors that control human activities and the limitations imposed by resources.

Assess how resources are controlling future development and evaluate how it impacts the regional and global community.

Evaluate the concept of sustainability from a geographic perspective, and assess the types of resource use adjustments that need to be made to achieve "sustainable development."

Class Assessment:

Discussions: You are always expected to attend and participate in class sessions. On at least eight (8) occasions, you will be evaluated on the basis of your participation in these important learning activities. Usually this will require making a written summary of your thoughts and reactions to the material being discussed, as well as written reactions to other students' comments. Discussion responses must be completed during the announced timeframe and may not be made up after that due date/time, unless the student has arranged for an excused absence prior to the class session. Note: Some discussion activities may require use of the eCompanion website outside of the regular class period.

Book Reviews: You will be expected to write a book review (total of 5) for each of the assigned books for the course. Each review must be at least 2 pages (i.e., 500 words) in length and must consist primarily of your own personal thoughts and reactions to the book material. Therefore, these should be written as evaluations of the books, not summaries of their content. Focus on what you think is good/bad about each book, especially as it pertains to helping advance a critical perspective related to the course's Core Learning Outcomes. Additional instructions and requirements will be made available in the course eCompanion website.

Exams: Two exams (a "mid-term" and a "final") will be given. Each exam will consist primarily of short answer and essay questions, however they may also contain some multiple choice, true/false, matching, or map questions.

Research Project (Core Assessment): You will be expected to complete a research project on a specific resource. Your results must be compiled in a PowerPoint document and you will be expected to present your project in class during the final week of the semester. Instructions will be provided in class and posted in the Doc Sharing page of the course eCompanion website (www.online.park.edu).

Grading:

ASSESSMENT

PERCENT OF COURSE GRADE

Discussions (8 @ 2% each)

16%

Book Reviews (5 @ 6% each)

30%

Exams (2 @ 15% each)

30%

Research Project [Core Assessment] (1 @ 24%)

24%

The course grade is determined by weighting the number of points earned for each assessment based on the above percentages. Final grades will be based on the following percentage cutoffs:

100-90% = A

89-80% = B

79-70% = C

69-60% = D

59-0%= F

Late Submission of Course Materials:

All assessments (assignments, exams, etc.) are expected to be fully completed and submitted by the announced due date and time. Any work completed and/or submitted after the announced deadline may not be accepted for grading. The instructor reserves the right to determine whether or not late work will be accepted and how much of a grade reduction penalty is appropriate depending upon the rationale for the student's lateness and whether or not he/she appropriately notified the instructor in advance of the deadline (or as soon as reasonably possible in the event of an emergency/unforeseen circumstance) with any appropriate documentation that may be requested by the instructor for verification purposes. Typically a 10-20% grade reduction penalty may be assessed for late work that is submitted within 1-2 weeks of the announced deadline, and only half credit (i.e., a 50% grade reduction penalty) is allowed for assignments over 2 weeks late.

Classroom Rules of Conduct:

Make class time your first priority. Arrive on time and do not leave early unless you have an emergency situation.

Treat fellow students and the instructor with RESPECT. Disruptive or disrespectful behavior toward another student or the instructor will not be tolerated. (This includes holding off-topic conversations or using a computer for non-related course activity during class time.) The offending student(s) will be asked to leave the classroom for the remainder of the period and will not be allowed to make up any assessments yet to be completed during the missed class time. Repeated occurrences of such behavior will be grounds for further administrative action as allowed by the Park University student code of conduct.

Contribute to an atmosphere conducive to learning. Phones or other electronic devices must be either turned to the silent mode (vibrate only) or OFF in the classroom. If you do receive notice of an emergency call (other than during an exam), quietly leave the classroom. Talking on a phone during class is prohibited. During an exam, ALL phones and electronic devices must be turned OFF and put completely away. ANY use of such equipment during an exam will result in a ZERO for the assessment.

All students will be held accountable for any material presented or discussed in class or through assigned readings. It is the responsibility of the student to obtain all materials and information missed during a class session, regardless of whether or not the absence is excused by the instructor. Failure on the part of the student to acquire missed information will not excuse the student from questions over that material on any assessment activity (quiz, exam, assignment, etc.).

You will be expected to use the eCompanion website for the course: www.online.park.edu. Some assignments/activities may be required to be completed online either during or outside of the regularly scheduled class time. Students are expected to notify the instructor in advance of the due date of any questions or concerns accessing or using this technology.

You are expected to be responsible for planning ahead and meeting deadlines in spite of any technological problems that may be encountered. Therefore, computer problems will NOT automatically be considered grounds for having late work excused. Be sure to save copies of your work OFTEN and in multiple locations for backup purposes.

*Tentative schedule: The Instructor reserves the right to amend this schedule based on the progress of the course and the needs of the students.

WEEK

ASSIGNED TEXTBOOK READINGS

ASSESSMENTS DUE

1

Uncommon Ground

2

Uncommon Ground

3

Uncommon Ground

4

Uncommon Ground

Book Review #1 due

5

Respect for Nature

6

Respect for Nature

7

Respect for Nature

Book Review #2 due

8

Red Alert (Leeb)

Exam #1 (Mid-term)

9

No classes (SPRING BREAK)

10

Red Alert (Leeb)

11

Red Alert (Leeb)

Book Review #3 due

12

Global Biopiracy

13

Global Biopiracy

Book Review #4 due

14

Red Alert! (Wildcat)

15

Red Alert! (Wildcat)

Book Review #5 due

16

Research Project presentations

Research Project (CA) due

17 (Finals)

Final Exam period = Wed., May 9, 1:00-3:00 PM

Exam #2 (Final)

Academic Honesty:Academic integrity is the foundation of the academic community. Because each student has the primary responsibility for being academically honest, students are advised to read and understand all sections of this policy relating to standards of conduct and academic life. Park University students and faculty members are encouraged to take advantage of the University resources available for learning about academic honesty (www.park.edu/current or http://www.park.edu/faculty/).from Park University 2011-2012 Undergraduate Catalog Page 93Students will receive a ZERO (i.e., NO CREDIT) for any assignment that has violated the Academic Honesty and Plagiarism policies in any way. In addition, the student may be reported to the Dean for any additional disciplinary action that is deemed appropriate by the university.

Plagiarism:Plagiarism involves the use of quotations without quotation marks, the use of quotations without indication of the source, the use of another's idea without acknowledging the source, the submission of a paper, laboratory report, project, or class assignment (any portion of such) prepared by another person, or incorrect paraphrasing. from Park University 2011-2012 Undergraduate Catalog Page 93ANY INSTANCE OF PLAGIARISM WILL RESULT IN A ZERO (NO CREDIT) FOR THE ASSIGNMENT ON WHICH IT OCCURS. IF YOU ARE AT ALL UNCERTAIN ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT YOU MAY BE COMMITTING PLAGIARISM AS DESCRIBED ABOVE, YOU ARE EXPECTED TO ASK THE INSTRUCTOR BEFORE SUBMITTING THE WORK FOR GRADING.

The instructor may excuse absences for valid reasons, but missed work must be made up within the semester/term of enrollment.

Work missed through unexcused absences must also be made up within the semester/term of enrollment, but unexcused absences may carry further penalties.

In the event of two consecutive weeks of unexcused absences in a semester/term of enrollment, the student will be administratively withdrawn, resulting in a grade of "F".

A "Contract for Incomplete" will not be issued to a student who has unexcused or excessive absences recorded for a course.

Students receiving Military Tuition Assistance or Veterans Administration educational benefits must not exceed three unexcused absences in the semester/term of enrollment. Excessive absences will be reported to the appropriate agency and may result in a monetary penalty to the student.

Report of a "F" grade (attendance or academic) resulting from excessive absence for those students who are receiving financial assistance from agencies not mentioned in item 5 above will be reported to the appropriate agency.

Disability Guidelines:Park University is committed to meeting the needs of all students that meet the criteria for special assistance. These guidelines are designed to supply directions to students concerning the information necessary to accomplish this goal. It is Park University's policy to comply fully with federal and state law, including Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, regarding students with disabilities. In the case of any inconsistency between these guidelines and federal and/or state law, the provisions of the law will apply. Additional information concerning Park University's policies and procedures related to disability can be found on the Park University web page: http://www.park.edu/disability .

Additional Information:Note: Due to scheduling conflicts with other classes, a few students have been allowed to enroll in this course as an Indpendent Study section (HOZ). These students will be expected to attend and participate in any class sessions that do not conflict with their other classes and will be given the same assignments as those in the regular (HO) section.

Copyright:

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